Thursday, August 25, 2016

Library Anxiety!

As your friendly neighborhood perch librarian, I've always found the library to be a place of comfort--I can lose myself in the many worlds of books, find a cozy chair to curl into, and have plenty of peace and quiet.  I realize, though, that not everyone may share my views of the library and may even regard it as a forbidding place.  Washington State University has identified the most common symptoms of library anxiety:
  • Fear of space in the library.
  • Fear of approaching a librarian.
  • Fear of not knowing how to use the library.
  • Fear of doing research.
Hopefully, for those of you who have library anxiety, I can alleviate your fears.

The library space is YOUR space.  You can move about it wherever you want, you can come and go as you please.  You don't have to ask us permission to use the bathroom, go to your car, come back later, etc.  We try to make the library environment as comfortable as possible with soft, cushy chairs to read (or sleep) in, crafts you can make on the tables, and puzzles you can piece together.

Don't be afraid of approaching your perch librarian or anyone else at the desk.  Sometimes we look like we're busy, but we're doing odds and ends (like writing posts on this blog) while we wait for you to come to us with your questions and concerns.  PLEASE BOTHER US!  We're here for you and want to help.

Don't worry about not knowing how to use the library.  We don't expect you to know everything.  If you did, you'd be the librarian and we'd be out of our jobs!  Don't feel stupid or think your question is stupid.  Believe me, we've heard all kinds of questions and there really is no such thing as a stupid question.  The only thing stupid is not asking your question, so please ASK!

Research doesn't have to be a difficult or scary thing.  If you're not sure how to do it or where to start, COME SEE US!  We're trained to know about different resources online and in print.  We can use our knowledge to help you find what you need quickly.  There's no need for you to suffer alone.  We're here to help and make your life a little easier.

Bottom line--the library is YOUR place and librarians, including your perch librarian, are here to help you.  We won't bite--I promise!  Come stop by, even if it's only to say hello.

Ever helpfully yours from the perch.


Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Armchair Travel

Maybe you haven't had the time or the resources to do some literary traveling this summer.  Well, that doesn't mean you can't have fun wandering about somewhere you've never been before.  When you can't physically travel to a place, you can always mentally travel there through those wonderful things called books!

Armchair travel is the way to go if you have to stay where you are and can't get away.  And if you're looking for some interesting places to mentally visit, I've got a few book suggestions:
  • American Fuji by Sara Backer (Japan)  An American expat in Japan relates her sometimes strange and funny experiences as a gaijin ("foreigner") in the Land of the Rising Sun.
  • The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Washington, DC)  See the American capital as you've never seen it before, from the basement of the Capitol Building to the top of the Washington Monument and beyond.
  • Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig (Montana, Wisconsin)  Go on a cross-country summer trip from Montana to Wisconsin and back with a young boy in the 1950s.
  • The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (France)  A broken-hearted bookseller takes his book barge from Paris to southern France to find answers about his long lost love.
  • Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Italy, India, Indonesia)  Eat pasta in Italy, pray at an ashram in India, and find new love in Indonesia with Elizabeth Gilbert.
  • The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Sweden)  Travel from Stockholm to the Swedish countryside in this suspenseful page-turner.
  • Wild by Cheryl Strayed (California, Oregon)  Hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert to the Columbia River Gorge without leaving the comfort of your home.

Still haven't found the right book for armchair traveling?  Then check out these websites for more suggestions:

Yours truly, currently armchair traveling through Istanbul (No Baggage by Clara Bensen) from the perch.